Our Staff Pick for May 2026 comes courtesy of The Frida’s Director of Memberships & Exhibition Operations, Bobby, as he has chosen Lou Ye’s 2000 romantic drama Suzhou River!
Along the banks of the Suzhou River, which winds precariously through Shanghai, Marda (Jia Hongshen) falls in love with a dramatically beautiful young woman named Moudan (Zhou Xun). When he tries to kidnap her in order to demand ransom money from her rich father, she escapes him, jumping in to the river and disappearing forever. Marda serves a three-year jail sentence for his attempted crime. Upon his release, he meets a woman that looks exactly like Moudan, named MeiMei (also played by Zhou Xun).
An exciting, action-filled mystery suspense movie, Suzhou River shares many thematic and stylistic elements with Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, and demands to be seen on the big screen in this brand new 4K restoration via our friends at Strand Releasing.
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Laugh. Cry. Share the pants.
Our Page To Screen series is back to present a 20th anniversary screening of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants!
Four best friends (Tibby, Lena, Carmen & Bridget) buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them, despite their differing sizes, and makes whoever wears them feel fabulous. When faced with the prospect of spending their first summer apart, the pals decide they’ll swap the pants so that each girl in turn can enjoy the magic.
Adapted from Ann Brashares’s bestselling novels, the film became a standout of mid-2000s teen cinema by centering female friendship as the main event instead of the subplot. Starring Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, the story uses a simple magical premise to explore body image and growing up.
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Director Pete Ohs new relationship drama Erupcja is coming to The Frida Cinema, starring big screen icon Charli XCX!
While on vacation in Poland, Bethany (Charli) breaks away from a romantic itinerary planned by her doting boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden), fearing that a marriage proposal is imminent. Reuniting instead with an old friend, Nel, the two women rekindle a uniquely combustible chemistry over the course of a few days in a chaste but burning trust predicated on sapphic synchronicity and a mutual penchant for poetry.
After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, Erupcja hits our screen on May 15th. Ohs co-wrote the script with all of the movie’s lead actors, lending the film to a very untraditional and exciting approach.
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The hills are alive…with one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time!
Experience the timeless magic of The Sound of Music at The Frida Cinema this Mother’s Day Weekend!
Julie Andrews (Julie Andrews) stars as Maria, a spirited young novice sent to care for the seven children of the строг but widowed Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). What begins as a challenge quickly blossoms into a story of music, love, and resilience, as Maria brings warmth and song back into a regimented household…just as the looming threat of war casts a shadow over their lives.
Directed by Robert Wise and featuring unforgettable songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Sound of Music is a sweeping, heart-lifting celebration of courage and the power of finding your voice. From its breathtaking alpine vistas to its iconic melodies, it remains a cinematic treasure that continues to inspire audiences of all ages.
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She’ll change your life.
Amélie is turning 25 years old, and we’re celebrating by presenting a 4K restoration from our friends at Sony Picture Classics!
At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?
Directed by visionary filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie is a dazzling burst of color and offbeat charm, successfully mixing storybook visuals with the perfect dose of romance.
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Join us for a special one-off screening of the new indie addiction drama Withdrawal. And stick around after the screening as we present an in-person Q&A with Director Aaron Strand and Cinematographer Emily Marquet!
Artistic lovers Viv and Jay are trapped in a vicious cycle of codependent heroin addiction. When Viv’s wealthy parents hire an interventionist to take her to rehab, the couple decides to go it alone with nothing but a suboxone prescription and each other. All they have to do is survive one harrowing night of withdrawal. As the hours tick by, physical, mental, and emotional torments send them searching through fractured memories, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
Raw, unflinching, and shockingly funny, Withdrawal was shot primarily on miniDV in Athens, Georgia. Winner of 12 awards on the festival circuit including Best Feature/Best Director at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and Best Actress at the Kanazawa Film Festival. Film Threat calls it “the best film about addiction since Requiem for a Dream.”
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Get ready to lock, pop, and break your way down memory lane! On May 11, 2026, The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana will host a highly anticipated theatrical anniversary screening of the 1984 summer blockbuster smash hit, Breakin’!
This unforgettable evening will double as a profound tribute to the film’s legendary star, the late Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones, taking place on what would have been his 71st birthday. The exclusive anniversary event will be hosted by Vashawn Quiñones, Adolfo’s son. Following the screening of the film, Vashawn will conduct an intimate and exclusive Q&A session. He will share personal stories, explore his father’s groundbreaking contributions to hip-hop culture, and discuss how the man who famously brought the character Orlando “Ozone” to life earned the undisputed title of “The Godfather of Street Dance.”
Released in the summer of 1984, Breakin’ was a cultural phenomenon that took the world by storm. Grossing over $38 million domestically, it catapulted breakdancing and hip-hop culture from the underground club scenes of Los Angeles into the global mainstream. At the heart of this movement was Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones. Before lighting up the silver screen, Quiñones was a founding member of the pioneering dance group The Original Lockers, where he helped innovate and popularize the “locking” style of street dance. His unparalleled talent eventually led him to choreograph and perform for some of the biggest names in music history, including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Chaka Khan. Through his explosive footwork, natural charisma, and visionary choreography, Shabba-Doo forever changed the landscape of modern dance.
“My father’s legacy is etched into every spin, pop, and lock you see in street dance today,” says Vashawn Quiñones, “Celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Breakin’ on his birthday is the perfect way to honor his memory, his artistry, and the lasting impact he left on dancers and fans all over the world.” Fans of the film, dance enthusiasts, and lovers of 80s pop culture are invited to experience the electric boogaloo magic on the big screen once again and pay homage to a true cultural icon.
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Who wants to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?
We’re celebrating the World Cup and Pride Month with two ultra-rare screenings of Bend It Like Beckham, presented by our friends over at the Orange County Soccer Club!
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
Endlessly quotable and packed with charm, this early-2000s nostalgic classic hits the sweet spot by blending sports movie thrills with a fresh and funny look at identity. Chase your goals!
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Our Classic Movie Nights series is stepping into the courtroom for a battle of the sexes with the sparkling romantic comedy Adam’s Rib, starring the incomparable Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy!
Married lawyers Amanda and Adam Bonner find themselves on opposing sides of a headline-grabbing case: Amanda defends a woman who shot her unfaithful husband, while Adam takes on the prosecution. What starts as a legal dispute quickly spills into their personal lives, as debates over marriage itself turn their once-harmonious relationship into a witty war zone. With the ever-scandalous neighbor Kip Lurie (David Wayne) stirring the pot, tensions run high.
Directed by George Cukor and written by the husband-and-wife team of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, Adam’s Rib is a masterclass in screwball dialogue and chemistry, showcasing one of classic Hollywood’s most iconic screen pairings at their absolute best.
Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!
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The greatest adventure a man ever lived…with a woman!
The penultimate film on our Bogie Fest series sees everybody’s favorite Hollywood tough guy taking on his greatest opponent ever…Katharine Hepburn! It’s John Huston’s The African Queen, the movie that finally landed Mr. Bogart his first and only Oscar!
Set against the chaos of World War I in East Africa, the film pairs two people who, on paper, should never work. Humphrey Bogart is Charlie Allnut, a scruffy, gin-soaked riverboat captain whose loyalties extend about as far as his next drink. Katharine Hepburn is Rose Sayer, a prim, devout missionary whose world has been defined by order, restraint, and moral certainty. Then…their world collapses. What begins as survival quickly becomes something else: a borderline absurd plan to take the boat downriver and attack a German warship.
Huston leans into the physicality of it all: the mud, the insects, the heat, the relentless push of the river. It’s not the ideal romantic backdrop, but with talent like Bogart and Hepburn on screen, they somehow make it all work.
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